Level 3 Building Surveys
I undertake pre and post-purchase building surveys that are broadly equivalent to RICS Level 3 across Yorkshire, Derbyshire and further afield if needed. If you are unsure what sort of survey is suitable for you, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has produced a guide ‘Helping You Choose the Right Survey’. In short, a level 3 survey is the most comprehensive of the four survey products and as such, is suitable for all property types.
I operate independently and I am not tied to any lending institutions or agencies. I only ever undertake one building survey per week to ensure I am not pushed for time and regularly spend all day on-site inspecting.
I am happy to provide written quotations for building surveys, please email me the details of the property – surveying@simonhollis.com. Quotations are based on the individual property in question and not based on the number of bedrooms or value of the property etc. The right-hand column in the table below will give you an idea of fees. If you are shopping around for quotes, I am unlikely to be at the cheaper end of the scale.
Fees for Level 3 surveys start at £1,200. If you have any queries or questions about my building surveys, please do give me a call – 07947 255 270 or send me an email.
Table of Recent Fees
Building survey fees include pre-survey desktop research, travel time and mileage from S11 7GH to and from the property, the inspection, survey write-up and a post-survey telephone call/Zoom/meeting to discuss the findings of the report and any questions you may have.
For a smaller house, I will usually be on-site for anywhere from four hours, a larger house can take several days to survey.
Pre-survey desktop research includes:
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Review of the estate agent's particulars and plans
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Investigation of the property history using historic maps
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The properties listed status (if applicable)
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If the property is in a Conservation Area
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Flood risk
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Radon gas risk
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Energy efficiency rating and assessor recommendations
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Planning permissions*
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Building regulation consent*
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Listed building consents*
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Mining areas
*Sometimes this information is not available online. We endeavour to contact the responsible authority in advance of the survey to obtain this information, however, we do not always receive this.
The property inspection focuses on the following elements:
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Roof, chimneys and roofspace
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Rainwater goods and drainage
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Windows, doors and external joinery
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External walls
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Internals, including cellars
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Services (visual inspection only)
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Moisture, ground levels and ventilation
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External areas
All survey reports are hand-written by me so I can explain, with the aid of a photograph the likely cause of any defects and remediation works required. Here are some example reports of different types of property:
My inspection and report are focused on the house and its material defects. I do not cover what is happening in the local area, whether there is a bus service to town, if the local bakery is any good or if the bank has closed down. I assume that if you are interested in purchasing a house in the area, you have satisfied yourself of these things already.
With regard to access, I can either arrange this via the estate agent or vendor, or I am happy for you to pass my contact details over for them to make contact with me, whatever is easiest for you.
A Note on Listed Buildings
I work with many clients who are looking to purchase or already own listed properties. Part of my pre-survey investigation work checks a property's listed status with Historic England and importantly, when it was listed. From here, I check the Local Authority's planning and building control (if applicable) portals to see what works, if any have received consent. I can then begin to assess if works may have been undertaken without the required consent.
Unfortunately, this is not an exact science, as trying to assess the date at which an alteration has been made can be difficult e.g. if a property was 150 years old and was listed in 1983, it may be difficult to tell if a replacement door was fitted in 1982 (pre-listing, no consent required) or in 1984 (post-listing, consent required).
